TheCorporateCounsel.net

The efforts that have been made to reduce the federal workforce over the past two months have prompted me to reflect on my time in public service and how important that time was to me as a lawyer and as a person. My conclusion is that I would not be who I am today without the unique experience of working in the federal government.

As I have discussed before, I grew up with only a very cursory understanding of the workings of the federal government and never really envisioned being a part of it. A series of random events and happenstance, including the impression left on my by the movie Wall Street, led me to law school with the express purpose of getting a job at the SEC. And thanks to an internship opportunity that opened up in the SEC’s Office of Administrative Law Judges, I got my shot at public service and tried to make the most of it.

What struck me most about my time in the federal government were all of the incredible people that I encountered there. During my two tours at the SEC, I met so many brilliant and genuinely nice people at the agency, many of whom I am still in touch with today. There was something about working hard together toward a well-defined mission that created a particular esprit de corp that I have never experienced in any other job. While there were inevitably bad times that came along with the good times, it was always easier to navigate those bad times with such a talented and committed group around you. And no matter what we were working on, we always stayed focused on the SEC’s mission, which gave all of us a sense of purpose in our daily work.

When I left the SEC the first time for private practice, I really struggled with the loss of my identity as a public servant. It was very difficult for me to transition out of the federal workforce, and I did not find the work in private practice to be as fulfilling as what I had experienced at the SEC. I also missed the people that I had worked with terribly, and I yearned for that sense of mission that came with public service. These feelings ultimately led to my return to the Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC, with a broader perspective on how the world works and a renewed interest in “doing good” in the federal government.

As I look back on my experience in the federal workforce, I realize that my “SEC Era” really reshaped my views on the role that the federal government plays in our lives and the important work that is being done in Washington and across the country by federal workers. While there are undoubtedly instances of waste, fraud and abuse in the government, we should definitely not paint with too broad of a brush when criticizing the federal workforce. At the SEC and other federal departments and agencies, there are hard-working, dedicated people that are working every day to make our lives better, safer and more productive, and they deserve our gratitude and respect. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their service to our country.

– Dave Lynn